


Call of the Siren

by FruitBird (KiwiLombax15)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Pirate Mako, Siren Junkrat, The great tumblr offload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 16:36:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17026263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiwiLombax15/pseuds/FruitBird
Summary: They say the Teeth are dangerous. That no ship to pass between them survives.They're right.





	Call of the Siren

**Author's Note:**

> This one was supposed to have two parts or so but I ran out of steam and ideas before I could finish it. So apologies about the cliff hanger type ending but I didn't want to waste what I did finish either.

“Orders, Captain?”

Captain Mako Rutledge adjusted the fit of his sharkskin mask, staring out over the open ocean as his first mate hovered anxiously by his side.

“We'll go round the Horn of Teeth, it's a shorter route and the traders won't be looking for attacks from the north. Easy pickings.”

“You sure, Captain? Not many ships come back from the Teeth. They say it's, y'know, haunted...”

Mako snorted.

“Fisherman talk. The Horn is haunted by nothing more that reefs, currents and storms. Those lost just didn't have the experience needed to navigate. I have faith in our helmsman, you need to as well.”

The deck shuddered under his bulk as he stepped forward, bellowing out his orders.

“All hands on deck! Ready the sails, portward for the Horn of Teeth!”

Sails snapped and rigging sang, as a strong breeze sprang up, carrying them forwards.

Towards the Teeth.

...

Spires of rock jutted upwards, grey mist floating between the jagged spires. Mako's helmsman was silent and grim, eyes locked forwards as he focused. Mako stood on the prow, a behemoth in the fog. He pretended not to hear his crews whispers.

“I hear there's Sirens here...”

“I brought us some wax, if we need it. Stuff it in our ear'oles.”

He snorted. Credulous fools.

Then out of the mist, faint on the breeze, came music.

_“-Gold and diamonds, silver too, over here and all for you,_

_Hiding down below the deep, a rich harvest to reap._

_Poor to rich man, rich to richer, free for every king or fisher, more than I could ever spend._

_So friend, it's yours to keep._

_Down here in the deep-”_

It was haunting, melodic, promising wealth, all the wealth he could ever desire. Behind him was a desperate scuffle as his superstitious crew jammed wax or fingers in their ears, but he was already gone, transfixed.

“Captain, get down!”

“Silence, fool! Can't you hear it? Treasure! We'll be the richest pirates on the sea!”

“It's a trap!”

“Bah! Cowards!”

He made to jump and what crew could spare a hand leaped forwards, trying to hold him back. He batted them aside effortlessly, pushing past the scrum and diving down into the swirling water.

Most pirates couldn't swim, but the man he used to be had learned, and now he was grateful, powering forwards towards the alluring promise of gold, and the poor fool giving it away. He could almost hear them gurgling their life away as he cut their throat and took it.

Something flashed in his head, a scream, a roar from a part of himself he ignored.

_“STOP!”_  
The coldness of the water registered. He pushed through, trying to ignore the part of him screaming he was a fool, a damn fool, was this what he wanted, to drown like a dog chasing dreams, fools gold? To leave the world behind? 

It was like a slap on the face, the sudden realization of what he was doing. Bobbing in the water, he shook his head. The sweet singing was suddenly screechy and horrid.

Something floated next to him, hand rummaging in his pockets as a pointy, ugly face stared at him in shock. 

“Y'...Y' broke the spell...no-ones ever-”

With a roar, he grabbed at its throat, the creature squealing as he squeezed at its throat. Huge slimy fins slapped at him, driving him underwater briefly. A field of sunken ships loomed in the depths below, so many, more than he could count. A fierce desire to not join the countless below gripped him, and he forced his way to the surface with a roar, the Siren still clutched in his hand.

“Mercy!” it squeaked.

“You take me for a fool?”

Mako needed to act, and fast. His limbs were flagging, cold water sapping his massive strength. Kill this creature, and find a way to shore...

“Give you treasure!” Its frantic flailing was beginning to slow down, pupils wide as it fought for air.

“...What did you say?”

Carefully, he loosened his hand.

“Treasure...give you bag of it...if you...let me go...”

“...I have my cutlass. Fool me and I strike you down.”

He let go, paddling over to a jutting rock and hauling himself up as the Siren wheezed and choked.

“Y'...Y' fucked anyway, mate. No one comes...here. Can't...eat diamonds. Can't drink...gold.”

“Don't need to. You'll be calling me a ship. That's what your cursed kind do, don't they?”

“Can't...”

“Don't give me that bullshit. I know you can bewitch a fisherman easily.”

“No...can't...m' throat...y' hurt it.”

He opened his mouth to scream at it for lying, then saw the bruises growing on it's greenish hide.

“...Oh.”

“Fuckin' idiot.”

“I guess I am.”

He took a closer look at it. It was huge, easily twelve feet long, even if most of it was a richly frilled tail. An arm was missing, fins tattered and skin laced with scars. Clearly life in the Teeth was hard even for its predators. Eerie yellow eyes glared at him through the murk.

“I look forward t' staking you out for fishbait, mate. Don't even have t' kill ya. Thirst'll do that for me. Goodbye, y' son of a dog. Hope y' die slow.”

It turned to leave, and came up short, hissing as it clutched at something in its side. The broken head of a spear was dug in deep, inflamed and red.

“Someone got you good, then.” Mako chuckled. The Siren glared.

“Just some fucking trader who got lucky. Can't get the damn thing out with one hand. Not like you care.”

“Can I offer you a deal, than? I know what the Fae are like for their deals.”

It cocked a frilled head at him, still glaring murder.

“What?”

“I get that spear head out of you, you keep me alive until your throat heals and you can lure a vessel closer.”

The Siren went still, clinging to a rock as it mulled over the deal.

“Only if you realize I can call a storm to rip you off the rocks if you try anything funny.”

“I promise to let you live, if you let me live.” It was embarrassing, but what choice did Mako have? He wasn't going to join the bleached bones below. Slowly, the Siren hauled itself up onto Makos rock, and he drew his knife. 

“This is going to hurt, no matter what I do.”

“Lost an arm, mate. I'm no stranger to pain.”

Removing the spear was messy business, punctuated by the Sirens agonizing screams. Luckily for the creature, it had missed anything serious, leaving behind just an ugly stitched mark that he wrapped up with his shirt.

“There. Now hold your end of the bargain.”

The beast twisted its tail, face lighting up as it did so easily.

“Roight. Fair enough. Did'jer know that rocks gonna get covered over at high tide? Come with me, y' can shelter in my little cave. How long can y' hold y' breath for?”

“You better not do any funny business, beast.”

It held its hands up in supplication.

“No joke, I swear! We made a deal. Deals with th' Fae can't be broken, or its the worst of curses on me. Grab me tail, mate. The entrance is underwater. Might be a squeeze with yer bulk, mind.”

He considered it, trying to recall stories of fairy folk he'd discounted ages ago. Deals were often a big theme, right? Especially mortals falling for traps. The deal he'd given the creature seemed watertight, so he took the leap, grabbing hold of slick fins and taking a deep gulp as water rushed over his head. He shut his eyes and prayed to the ocean to deliver him safely...

The journey seemed to take an age, his lungs burning like hellfire. He wasn't going to make it, he was going to drown here, down in the deeps, clinging to a lying beast-

The water broke over his head and he gulped air like a dying man.

“See. Promised.”

“Glad to see you kept your...end...of...”

He trailed off, caught halfway out of easing himself out of the water as he saw his surroundings. A cave as large as a cathedral surrounded him, glowing moss and sparkling walls going up as far as the eye could see. That wasn't what caught his attention.

Gold.

The cave was full of it, mountains and mountains of treasure pilling up, up, up. Doubloons clinked under his feet as he scrabbled out of the little pool that was the entrance, digging greedy fingers into the nearest pile.

“Look at all this!”

“Rich pickings, these waters. Help yerself. Did promise y' a sackful, and it's not like it'll make a dent.”

Mako felt like a child at a bakery, scrambling from pile to pile, in hog heaven.

“What do you even do with all this? This must be-” Millions? Billions? Mako didn't have a number for it. The Siren shrugged.

“Collect it. Sleep on it. I just like it. It's shiny.”

“They told me the sirens song was full of lies. But this...there really is a treasure here.”

“Yep. Funny you mentioned songs. Because I've never seen a mortal throw off my spell.” The Siren pulled itself out of the pool. “And I think I may know why. Treasure isn't really what you want.”

“Don't be an idiot. I'm a pirate, treasure is my life.”

The Siren made a non committal noise.

“I s'pose. Just funny. I had a friend who nearly got gutted by a sailor, once. She'd been promising him an out of this realm fuck if he got nice and close to the rocks, and it turned out the fella had no interest in women _or_ men. So her spell didn't work. I wonder if that's why it didn't hold you as strong. You'd _like_ treasure. But it isn't what you _want.”_

Mako avoided it's piercing gaze.

“So what, you're gonna try and seduce me?”

The beast laughed.

“Do I look like the kind of Siren the sailors clamour to do the horizontal swim with? I'm not the handsomest Fae out there.” A private part of Mako thought he had a certain exuberant charm, but he kept that very quiet. “No, you want something else, besides sex or treasure.”

It leaned forward, a calculating smile on its face. Mako leaned back, away from those golden eyes.

“And I'm going to find out what it is. What's missing from your life that badly.”

He snorted. 

“Good luck, fish breath. I'm the terror of the seas, I fear no overgrown herring. Besides, you haven't even told me your name.”

The Siren frowned.

“To the Fae, names hold power. If I tell you mine, you can control me. Call me Junkfish, it's the closest you'll get.”

“SeaHog. I'll keep my name from you as well, beast.”

“Knew you was clever. Get some rest, I'll bring you food and water in the morning. Plenty of time tomorrow to unravel your secrets, mystery mortal. Sweet dreams.” 

With a spray of water, it dived down. Mako wrapped his cloak around himself and leaned back against a pile of mildewy silks. He frowned under his mask. 

What on earth was he going to do?

And why was that hideous creature so alluring?


End file.
